Over 1,000 claims filed at Employment Claims Tribunal in first year of operations

SINGAPORE — A total of 1,190 employment claims were filed at the Employment Claims Tribunal (ECT) in its first year of operations, with more than four out of five cases concluded, said the State Courts in a media release on Tuesday (April 24).

Three out of four claims were concluded at the case management conference stage without the need for a full hearing. The ECT also granted 732 Money Orders, while other cases were either dismissed or withdrawn.

Started in April 1 last year, the ECT aims to provide an effective and affordable dispute resolution forum to help employees and employers resolve statutory and contractual salary-related disputes.

Statutory salary-related claims include unpaid salary, overtime pay, salary in lieu of notice of termination, employment assistance payments, and maternity benefits. Contractual salary-related claims from employees include bonuses, commissions, and retrenchment benefits, among other things.

The majority of these claims was concluded within six months from when they were filed. The ECT has jurisdiction to hear claims up to S$20,000, or up to S$30,000 if the dispute has gone through mediation with the help of the unions.

Of the types of claims, 78 per cent were about non- or short-payment of salaries or allowances, 37 per cent on overtime payment, and 27 per cent were related to salaries in lieu of notice. Each claim can contain more than one type of employment dispute.

From next year, the ECT will also deal with wrongful dismissal claims which are currently heard by the Ministry of Manpower. This will allow those who have both salary-related and wrongful dismissal claims — which usually go hand in hand — to settle their disputes at one place.

Employees outside the scope of the Employment Act, such as professionals, managers and executives who earn more than S$4,500 a month, can turn to the ECT to file their claims. PMEs make up about one-quarter of those who have filed claims at the ECT since it was launched.

Previously, they would have had to pursue their claims through the civil courts. The ECT, which is judge-led and designed with simplified procedures, allows for a faster and more cost-effective way to settle their disputes.